Scraper attachment for floor brush



April 9, 1963 R. M. HAWKINS 3,084,369

SCRAPER ATTACHMENT FOR FLOOR BRUSH Filed Nov. 10, 1960 m fioberZMHau/hms a W2 M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,@84,369 SRAER ATTAEHMENT FOR FLOQR BRUSH Robert M. Hawkins, RD. 2, Uhriehsville, @hio Filed Nov. 1d, 196%, Ser. No. 68,556 2 {0. -4235) The invention relates to an improved scraper attachment to floor brushes or push brooms, and more particularly to such a scraper attachment especially adapted for easy and ready connection to a type of floor brush, the head of which is formed of a continuous substantially tubular metal member, and the handle of which is detachably connected to the head of a screw and nut.

It is known that scraper attachments have been proposed for use upon floor brushes having the conventional wooden heads, but such devices were not adapted for attachment to floor brushes having metal heads of the type referred to. Furthermore, such scraper attachments required the use of additional fastening means for connecting the same to the head of the brush.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a scraper attachment for connection to a floor brush having a head formed of a continuous substantially tubular metal member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a scraper attachment of the character referred to adapted to be connected to the head of a floor brush by the conventional means which attaches the handle thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a scraper attachment formed of a sheet of relatively heavy gauge steel, having an attaching portion provided with a pair of spaced parallel corrugations adapted to fit over the spaced parallel straight portions of the tubular metal head of the brush, and a forwardly and downwardly inclined, flared scraper blade portion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a scraper attachment of this character, in which the attaching portion thereof is provided with an aperture to receive the conventional handle-attaching screw on the head of the brush, whereby the usual wing nut for said screw connects both the handle and the scraper attachment to the brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a scraper attachment, the attaching portion of which is located between the brush head and the handle and clamped therebetween by the usual handle-attaching screw and wing nuts.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawing and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved scraper attachment for floor brushes in the manner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In general terms, the invention may be briefly described as comprising a scraper attachment especially adapted for mounting upon a particular type of floor brush having a metal head formed of a continuous, substantially tubular metal member to which the brush bristles are secured. This tubular metal member is formed to provide two parallel straight leg portions connected together at opposite ends by U-shaped portions.

A transversely disposed handle-attaching plate is connected to the spaced straight leg portions of the brush head, at the center thereof, and has an upright screw secured thereto. The handle of the brush has a ferrule at its lower end, the terminal end of which is expanded and angularly formed to fit upon the attaching plate of the brush head, and provided with an aperture to receive the screw thereon, a wing nut being provided upon said screw for clamping the handle ferrule upon said attaching plate.

The scraper attachment to which the invention pertains is formed of a relatively heavy sheet of steel, comprising an attaching portion having a spaced pair of corrugations therein for fitting over the spaced parallel straight leg portions of the tubular metal brush head, and a downwardly and forwardly inclined, flared scraper blade portion.

There is an aperture in the attaching portion of the scraper attachment adapted to receive the screw on the attaching plate of the brush head. The angular end of the handle ferrule is placed over the attaching portion of the scraper attachment, and clamped thereagainst by the usual thumb nut, thus clamping the scraper attachment upon the brush head.

The scraper attachment is thus secured to the head of the brush by the usual means provided in such brushes for attaching the handle thereto, and without requiring any additional fastening means for connecting the scraper attachment to the brush.

The improved scraper attachment may thus be easily and readily attached to a floor brush of the character referred to, providing a simple and efficient scraper for use with the brush, for scraping grease, caked mud or the like from a floor.

Having thus briefly described the invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawing, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floor brush with the improved scraper attachment secured thereto;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the brush with scraper attachment thereon, in position to use the scraper blade upon the floor; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through the brush, showing the manner of attaching the scraper attachment thereto by the usual screw and thumb nut by which the handle is attached to the brush head.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout, a floor brush with metal head is indicated generally at l.

The head of the brush is formed of a substantially tubular metal, endless member indicated generally at 2. The usual bristles 3 are clamped within the tubular metal head member 2', forming a floor brush or push broom.

The endless tubular member 2 is formed to comprise two spaced parallel straight leg portions 4, connected at both ends by the substantially U-shaped portions 5. The bristles '3, attached to the tubular member 2, extend entirely along both of the straight leg portions 4 and around both U-shaped end portions 5' of the brush head.

For the purpose of attaching a handle to the brush of the particular type illustrated, a transversely disposed attaching plate 6 is connected at opposite ends to the straight leg portions 4--4 of the brush head, at the center thereof. A screw 7 is connected to the attaching plate 6 and extends upwardly therefrom.

A handle 8, usually formed of wood, is provided for attachment to the brush head. The handle has a metal ferrule 9 at its lower end, the terminal end portions of the ferrule being expanded and angularly disposed, as shown at 10.

An aperture 11 is formed in the angular extension 10 of the ferrule, to receive the screw 7, and a wing nut 12, or equivalent device, is located upon the screw, whereby the handle may be fixed to the brush at such an angle that it may be used as a floor brush or push broom.

It should be understood that the floor brush above described is not a part of applicants invention, but that the invention consists in an improved scraper attachment especially adapted for connection to the type of floor brush illustrated and described.

Referring now to the improved scraper attachment to which the invention pertains, the same is indicated generally at 13, and is formed of a sheet of steel or the like of relatively heavy gauge,

' The upper, or rear, portion 14 of the scraper attachment providesan attaching portion for connection to the tubular metal head 2 of the brush. Spaced, parallel corrugations 15 and 16 are. formed in this portion of the scraper attachment and adapted to fit over the spaced, parallel straight leg portions 4 of the tubular head 2 of the brush.

The corrugation 16 is located at the rear edge of the scraper attachment and adapted to fit over the rearrnost leg 4 of the brush head. The corrugation 15 is adapted to fit over the forward leg 4 of the brushhead and the forwardly and downwardly inclined, flared scraper blade 17 extends forwardly therefrom. An aperture 18 is centrally located in the attaching portion 14 of the scraper attachment and is adapted to receive the screw 7.

In order to attach the improved scraper. attachment to a floor brush of the type illustrated, the wing nut 12' is removed from the screw 7, and the handle 8, is disconnected from the brush. The scraper attachment 13 is then positioned upon the head of the brush, the corrugations 1S and 16 of the scraper attachment being located over the straight leg portions 4 of the brush head and the screw 7 being received through the aperture 18 of the scraper attachment.

The handle isthen replaced upon the brush, the aperture 11 on the angularterminal end 10 of the ferrule 9 receiving the upper end portion of the screw 7. The wing nut 12 is then threaded upon the screw 7, attaching the handle to the brush and clamping, the attaching portion 14 of the scraper attachment tightly between the angular portion 10 of the handle ferrule and the attaching plate dot the brush head, as best shown in FIG. 3.

The corrugations i5 and 16 of the scraper attachment are thus clamped firmly over the straight leg portions 4 of the brush head, holding the scraper attachment rigidly against turning movement relative to the brush,

In this assembled condition of the scraper attachment uponthe brush, the scraper blade 17 extends forwardly and downwardly from the brush, on the side thereof oppo site .to the handle, and, as shown in H65. 1 and 3, the brush may be used in usual manner to sweep a floor. The scraper blade is so located that it does not in any manner interfere with the normal use of the brush for sweeping.

When grease, caked mud, dirt or the like are encountered upon the --fio-or, the brush ,is turned to the position shown in FIG. 2, with the scraper blade 17 located downward in contact with the door, so that the grease, mud, etc. may be easily scraped from the surface.

The wire. or rod 19 upon the brush head, forming a support. for the handle 8, is a conventional part offloor brushes of the character referred tow and forms no part of the present invention.

It will be obvious from the above that a simple, inexpensive and eflicient scraper attachment is provided for floor brushes of the type shown, which is easily and readily attached to such a floor brush without requiring any additional fastening means for connecting it to the brush.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words 4 are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described the invention or discovery, the construction, the operation, and use of preferred embodiment-s thereof, and the advantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful construction, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A scraper attachment for a floor brush having a head comprising an endless, substantially tubular metal member providing two parallel straight leg portions and having a centrally located transverse attaching plate with a screw extending upwardly therefrom, a handle having .a ferrule with an angular end portion having an aper ture therein of just sufiicient diameter to receive said screw and a thumb nut on said screw for attaching the handle to the brush head, said scraper attachment comprising a substantially flat metal sheet having an attach- :lng portion at one end for location between the attaching plate and the angular end portion of the ferrule and having an aperture in said attaching portion, said aperture being of just sufficient diameter to receive the screw, two spaced hollow corrugations formed in said metal plate on opposite sides of said aperture for location over the straight leg portions of the brush head, and a forwardly and downwardly inclined integral scraper blade formed on the other end of said metal plate, whereby the thumb nut forms the sole means for attaching the handle and the scraper attachment to the brush head.

2. A scraper attachment for a floor brush having a head comprising an endless, substantially tubular metal member providing two parallel straight leg portions and having a centrally located transverse attaching plate with a screw extending upwardly therefrom, a handle having a ferrule with an angular end portion having an aperture therein of just suificient diameter to receive said screw and a thumb nut on said screw for attaching the handle to the brush head,'said scraper attachment comprising a substantially flat metal sheet having an attaching portion at one end for location between the attaching plate and the angular end portion of the ferrule and having an aperture in said attaching portion, said aperture being of just sufiicient diameter to receive the screw, two spaced hollow corrugations formed in said metal plate on opposite sides of said aperture for location over the straight leg portions of the brush head, and a forwardly and downwardly inclined and flared integral scraper blade formed on the other end of said metal plate, whereby the thumb nut forms the sole means for attaching the handle and the scraperattachment to the brush head.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,761,180 Cave et a1. June 3, 1930 2,163,979 Judson June 27, 1939 2,347,473 Ericksen Apr. 25, 1944 2,667,653 Le Febvre Feb. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,537 Germany Apr. 1, 1910 563,813 Germany July 2, 1931 

1. A SCRAPER ATTACHMENT FOR A FLOOR BRUSH HAVING A HEAD COMPRISING AN ENDLESS, SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR METAL MEMBER PROVIDING TWO PARALLEL STRAIGHT LEG PORTIONS AND HAVING A CENTRALLY LOCATED TRANSVERSE ATTACHING PLATE WITH A SCREW EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, A HANDLE HAVING A FERRULE WITH AN ANGULAR END PORTION HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN OF JUST SUFFICIENT DIAMETER TO RECEIVE SAID SCREW AND A THUMB NUT ON SAID SCREW FOR ATTACHING THE HANDLE TO THE BRUSH HEAD, SAID SCRAPER ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT METAL SHEET HAVING AN ATTACHING PORTION AT ONE END FOR LOCATION BETWEEN THE ATTACHING PORTION AT ONE END FOR LOCATION BETWEEN THE ATTACHING PLATE AND THE ANGULAR END PORTION OF THE FERRULE AND HAVING AN APERTURE IN SAID ATTACHING PORTION, SAID APERTURE BEING OF JUST SUFFICIENT DIAMETER TO RECEIVE THE SCREW, TWO SPACED HOLLOW CORRUGATIONS FORMED IN SAID METAL PLATE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID APERTURE FOR LOCATION OVER THE STRAIGHT LEG PORTIONS OF THE BRUSH HEAD, AND A FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY INCLINED INTEGRAL SCRAPER BLADE FORMED ON THE OTHER END OF SAID METAL PLATE, WHEREBY THE THUMB NUT FORMS THE SOLE MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE HANDLE AND THE SCRAPER ATTACHMENT TO THE BRUSH HEAD. 